sentiment and has a special value to society. It is thus distinctively and inherently on a higher plane than the average occupation. The agent is not only a salesman, he is an educator, a public benefactor, and under the cloak of salesmanship does a great work of service. Business is war, although not always according to the definition of General Sherman. The agency forces of a life assurance society are a great army, seeking, not evil, but good. As with any army there is demanded harmony of action, courage, persistence, singleness of purpose, confidence, industry-qualities which, intelligently directed, will win success in any field of human endeavor. There must be secured from the agent a loyal co-operation rather than drudging routine forced by the necessities of existence. What is loyalty? In actual war it is elimination of the individual for the good of the whole. In life assurance it is the consecration of self to a life work, with full faith in the society and absolute confidence in those in command, not for the good of the whole primarily, but for the welfare of the individual. This distinction is important. In business self interest is the strongest motive force. The development of an agent depends upon the degree in which this force operates. To do successful work, the agent must feel that in loyalty lies his own welfare. The society is his opportunity; the function of the manager is to keep him in touch with this opportunity. At the outset, then, the agent must be made to feel that he has chosen his life work. In no other way can he properly develop. The growing process is constant; success is not something which can be put on or off at pleasure. We thus find as the first essential loyalty to the insurance idea, both as a public blessing and as a means for a livelihood. The successful and honest agent must believe in that which he wishes to sell. Here we have a young man who believes in the principles and mission of life assurance and feels that under proper conditions he can develop into a proper salesman. Where lies his opportunity? Where can he best grow? A life assurance society, while founded on sentiment, is amenable to all the laws of the commercial world. If our agent's development is to be constant, the society he represents must be permanent. He must be able to believe in his society as well as in the insurance idea, for this belief will greatly influence his work. The strength of an insurance society is a demonstrable quantity. He selects one, perhaps, which has had a useful career covering nearly a half-century. Financial panics have had no appreciable effect on its enormous resources. Its relations with thousands of policyholders have been ideal. It has passed triumphantly through a storm which would have wrecked a weaker institution. Here is something to which he can pin his faith and trust his future. Here is one condition under which he can grow. Such a society is his opportunity, and to succeed he must stick to his opportunity. This is especially true as life assurance work is in a degree educative and its rewards not immediate. Here, then, is loyalty to an idea and to a concern which is the embodiment of that idea, requiring, not elimination of self, but consecration of his full energies in the belief that his own welfare demands it. This is the only form of loyalty which an insurance society can exact. The problem is to maintain the agent in the knowledge that the society is his opportunity and their interests mutual. Now enters the personal element. Upon the managers the growth of the society and of the agent in a large measure depends. Loyalty to his leader becomes a directing force in our agent's development. Woe to that society whose managers are not men who inspire confidence and loyalty; with whom the agents can entrust their future; can work in perfect harmony, confident of receiving full appreciation and justice; men in whose honesty of purpose absolute reliance can be placed. Imagine an organized agency force whose leader, whatever his ability, is not a safe person with whom to entrust an agent's future. The development of the men who work under his direction is one of his chief duties. Yet he controls by fear, which becomes a dominant but disturbing element. The atmosphere exhaled poisons ambition, stiffles growth and destroys confidence in the society. In such an atmosphere of discord and distrust work becomes drudgery, the future uncertain and full development impossible. With one in charge who believes in the men as well as in the society, who studies them, is mindful of their interests, inspires them, the agent will develop all the hidden resources of his nature. For such a leader he feels a new loyalty, a personal devotion born of the perception of an honest purpose. Through that leader his mistakes are rectified; he learns to understand human nature, to acquire necessary facts, to analyze the situation; he is filled with confidence and courage; his task becomes pleasure; his industry, persistent; his ideals, correct; he works; he studies; he grows, and his growth is the growth of the society. Intellect is necessary; determination is essential; selfinterest, dominant. Heat these in the emotions, fan them into flame with the breath of true loyalty, and that agent can be moulded in perfect pattern. President Dolph-The next business on the program is new business. It occurs to me it might be well to postpone new business. What is the pleasure of the convention? Col. Goulden-Mr. President, under the head of new business I should like to offer the following: Whereas, The insurance press bave at all times given a full and accurate report of the proceedings of the National Association of Life Underwriters, as well as of matters generally affecting the business of life insurance, standing ever ready to defend its principles and to advocate its claims. Therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Association of Life Underwriters, in convention assembled, hereby records its high appreciation of the efforts of the insurance press, and extends its grateful thanks to its representatives. And, be it further Resolved, That the press of Hartford, the New York Commercial, and other daily papers be, and are hereby tendered a hearty vote of thanks for the able and impartial reports of the proceedings of our sixteenth annual meeting. The question was put and the motion prevailed. President Dolph—I would like to ask the convention for instructions as to the discussion of the five-minute topics. Is it the pleasure of the convention that they be taken up? If so, when? Mr. F. H. Garrigues, Philadelphia, Pa.-The business of life insurance is eminently a peace-promoting business. It |